


Grant Me Peace of Mind

by NoraDawnElric



Series: Grant Me Peace of Mind [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Anime, Friendship/Love, Gen, Peace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 04:10:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoraDawnElric/pseuds/NoraDawnElric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A girl meets the Elric brothers one year after they get their bodies back. The more she learns about the two boys, the more she slowly falls for Edward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet The Elrics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midori meets the Elrics, never hearing of them before. She gets invites by Alphonse to stay in their house for a night, but Edward isn't so happy about it.

I met the Elric brothers at nineteen years old. Edward was nineteen as well, Alphonse, eighteen. Our paths had crossed at a little shop outside of my tiny hometown. Everybody in the shop knew who they were except for me. "Well, look what we have here," The shop owner chuckled when they entered. "The Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother, Al," Both boys said hello to the man as they looked around. The Fullmetal Alchemist...? I glanced over just slightly to look at them. One was rather tall with his hair cut short and his gray-green eyes focused on the items in front of him. The other, not quite as tall as his brother, was quite the looker. His hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, a red jacket falling down to his ankles. His eyes were a golden color, almost mystifying.

The two brothers began heading near the row of shelves I was standing in front of . I turned away quickly so they wouldn't notice me looking at them, holding a little glass item in my hand. They stood not too far from me, causing me to tense up slightly. The boys looked at things along the shelves, picking things up here and there to look closer. "That's pretty, Miss. That thing you've got in your hand," The short haired one commented to me politely. I looked back at him, a shakey smile on my face. "Yeah...it is. I'm thinking about buying it," By that time, I couldn't even remember what it was I was holding, though I tried to make it seem like I did. I stole another look at the other sibling, who wasn't even acknowledging my presence. I silently wished he had been the one to talk to me, but left this thought unvoiced.

The one that had spoken to me smiled softly. "I'm Alphonse Elric. Though I bet you already knew that," He chuckled slightly and humbly. I gave him a blank look and shook my head. "Um...nope, not really. Never heard of yah. Sorry," This caught the handsome boy's attention, causing him to look at me. "You've never heard of the Elric brothers? The Fullmetal Alchemist?" He motioned to himself. "Nope. Do you do magic or somethin'? You seem like the type of guys to do magic," I took a wild guess, causing his eye to twitch with slight irritation. "No....we're alchemists. Were, I guess I should say," He elaborated through gritted teeth. "Easy, Edward..." Al mumbled to his, what I assumed to be younger, brother.

"Okay, so you guys are-excuse me, were-alchemists. Why does that mean I should know you?" I asked in a rather dull tone. The nice looking one obviously had a bit of an attitude. "Brother is pretty famous. He was the youngest person to be accepted by Fuhrer King Bradley as a State Alchemist in the military. I'm just known for traveling with him," Alphonse explained. Fuhrer King Bradley...he had always seemed a little...creepy to me, with his eyepatch and weird smile. Of course, now that Roy Mustang was Fuhrer, he wasn't someone to worry about.

"That's...very interesting," I nodded. "But I've never heard of you guys before," "How can you be living in Amestris and NOT hear of the Elrics?" A man in an aisle close to us commented. "I grew up in a very, very small town. Information about anything rarely ever reached the ears of my family," I said.

Edward still looked a little annoyed that he wasn't known and admired by everyone in the country. The more he spoke, the more I began to think that Edward Elric, handsome as he was, was just stuck up and hot tempered.

"Sorry," I smiled kindly at the brothers. "It was very nice to meet you both," I then turned to Edward, mocking a curtsy of respect. "Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist," His eyes looked up to the ceiling. "Later," He muttered. I put what I had in my hand down and stepped out of the little shop.

\---

My second meeting with the two former alchemists weeks later was also random and by chance. Rain poured onto me as I scurried along the sidewalk. Water sloshed underneath my shoes, getting the bottom of my jeans drenched. It had to rain harshly on the day I decided to walk to work. I was nearly running, hoping to get home as quickly as possible. I shivered, for the rain had seeped through my clothes, chilling me to the bone.

Two boys, each holding an umbrella, started coming into my view. I didn't pay much attention to them until I realized who the guys were. "Hey!" Al cried out to me, quickening his pace. Edward stayed behind, obviously in no hurry to see me. I stopped where I was until they reached me. "What are you doing out here in the rain, specifically without an umbrella?" Alphonse asked me, his genuine good nature shining big and bold. "Going home," I replied bluntly. "You're soaked, dummy," Edward murmured rather loudly. "I'm aware," I said back. "Which is why I'm hurrying home,"

"Is your home close?" Al asked me. "Not really," I replied. "Well, Brother and I are heading back to our own home. We can take you there long enough for you to dry off, bathe, get into a change of clothes. Here, you can share an umbrella with Brother, considering he insisted on having the bigger one," Alphonse suggested. "I'm not sharing an umbrella with her. She can just get drenched and catch a cold," Edward grumbled towards Alphonse. Al gave him a rather disapproving look. Yep, he was definitely the older brother. Ed sighed and walked over to me, shielding my head from the pouring rain with his umbrella.

We walked, Al leading the way. It didn't take us long to approach the small apartment building the Elrics called "home". The three of us walked in and headed up the stairs. The boys closed up the umbrellas before opening the door to their own apartment. It was bigger on the inside than on the outside, or so it appeared to be that way. "Make yourself at home," Alphonse said kindly. "But not too much at home..." Edward said under his breath. I sort of frowned, but then took off my wet shoes, setting them on the mat in front of the door.

"Brother, could you run some water for our guest, please? I'm going to find some clothes for her to change into," Alphonse said to his brother as he headed for their bedroom. Edward mumbled something to himself, but went into the bathroom anyway. I stood and waited, taking in the sights around me. The apartment wasn't much to look at, but it seemed perfect for two young brothers living together. Quaint, cozy, and homey. Not to mention enough space for a couple of boys and their things.

I quit my looking around when I heard the water flow from the bathroom come to a stop. My feet pattered against the floor as I made my way to the tub. Alphonse had set some clean pajamas out on the toilet for me to change into when I was finished. The sight of the warm water and bubbles nearly made me groan with pleasure at just imagining how it would feel when I got in. "Here. Enjoy your-" Ed began to say before he glanced at the clothing laying there. "Are those my pajamas?!" "Don't fuss about it, Edward," Al chided from the other room. Edward sighed. "Enjoy your bath..." He left the room, closing the door behind him.

I peeled off my wet shirt, though the dampness caused it to try to stick to me. I stripped the rest of the way and set into the tub. A sigh escaped my lips as the hot water met with my cold skin. The sensation was unlike any other. I sunk deep into the bubbles, letting myself relax. It had been a long time since I'd had a nice, long bath, so I allowed myself to really enjoy it. After a while, the warmth started to make me drowsy. If I didn't get up, I knew I would fall asleep in the tub. I slowly slipped out of the warm water and toweled my dripping body before changing into the pajamas, which were also warm and cozy. They smelt nice, too. It wasn't a scent I could put a name to, it was just...nice.

I turned the knob and opened the bathroom door. "You look rather refreshed," Alphonse told me with a little smile. "Mmhmm...." I mumbled softly before crawling into the first bed I could find. It smelt like the pajamas, which added to my longing for sleep. "W-what are you doin'?" Ed inquired. "That's...my bed," I tuned him out and let my eyelids droop over my eyes, like curtains blocking the outside world. "Don't you dare fall asleep, you son of a-" And before I knew it, I had drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	2. The Sadness of Edward Elric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midori learns more about Edward and his tortured past, feeling more connected to him afterwards.

I woke up slowly with my face pressed to a soft, warm fabric. My eyes remained shut as I laid comfortably in bed. Light shone in onto my face through a nearby window, though it didn't faze me. I snuggled deeper into the covers with a very soft moan, due to both comfort and lack of ablity to move my limp, groggy body from the bed. I laid there for a while before I slowly allowed my eyes to open. I looked around but neither Edward nor Alphonse were in the room. Enveloped in the covers, I sat up. The blankets were cozy, providing me with warmth. It made me feel soothed and relaxed, which didn't happen often.

The sound of footsteps could be heard before Edward poked his head in the door. "It's about time you woke up," He said to me. I gave him a groggy smile. "Good morning, Edward." He stepped into the room. "More like good afternoon," Edward sat on the bed next to the one I was in. "Hmm? What time is it?" I asked. "About 1:30," He replied. "You've been sleeping all day. We tried to get you up, but you were sound asleep," Made sense. I had a habit of sleeping in really late when I got exhausted.

"I'm sorry..." I said. "I hope I didn't cause you guys any inconvenience," Ed shrugged. "Nah. You just missed breakfast, that's all," I noticed that he was being a little kinder to me now....it brought a smile to me face. "What??" He gave me a weird look when he saw it. "You're being a little nicer to me today," I told him. "What? Well, don't think it's because I'm starting to like you! 'Cause I'm not!" He protested loudly, making me giggle. "Okay, Ed," He gave a little sigh, looking away from me.

The room fell silent for a few minutes while Edward refused to look at me. "Where's Al?" I questioned. "He's working at the bakery. He won't be back 'til later," He said. "Oooh, a guy that can bake, huh?" My lips curved upward in a playful smile. "Do you have a job, Edward?" He shook his head. "Not yet, anyway," "I see...I work as a waitress. It sucks, but I make money," I told him. He nodded silently, and the small talk converstation I had attempted...failed.

Edward and I sat in an awkward silence. I didn't know what to say to him, and he apparently didn't know what to say to me. He looked like he was getting ready to leave the room before I said, "So, tell me about yourself, Edward. Tell me your background, where you're from. What are you into? I'm sorta dying for conversation," I really just wanted to get to know Ed a bit more, though I wasn't gonna come out and say that.

He looked at me for a moment. "You want to know about me...?" I nodded. Uncertainty crossed his face for a moment. "Just tell me everything there is to know about Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist," I smiled softly at him. His voice held a certain reluctance when he began to speak. "Well...I'm nineteen, I grew up in Resembool with Al and our Mom..." His eyes showed a small flash of pain at the mention of his mother. "What about your dad?" I interrupted him. "He left. He left us when Al and I were really young..." Edward's voice became hard and bitter very quickly. "Okaaay, I guess that's a tough subject. So, tell me about your mom then," I said.

"Mom..." Ed gave a small, distant smile. "Mom was the sweetest woman in the whole world. Everybody loved her, though nobody loved her more than me and Al. Her smile was so calming and so happy. She sang us lullabies and her beef stew was amazing, even if it had milk in it," This caused me to giggle. "I guess you don't like milk?" His nose crinkled with disgust. "Ugh, no. Milk's disgusting," I laughed harder. "Well, it is!"

"Okay, okay, continue," I said, my tone still amused. "I noticed that mom would get this distant look sometimes. She would stare out the window at nothing or seem really deep in thought. I just never knew why..." Edward fell silent for a moment, and it took him a bit of struggling to continue. "Our best friend was our neighbor, Winry Rockbell. We would always play with her and we even called her grandmother Granny. She was like family," He smiled slightly. "One day, Al and I discovered out Dad's old office. It was full of alchemy books. Mom let us study them, and pretty soon, we could do alchemy,"

He went on to tell me how much they loved doing alchemy and the way his mom's eyes would shine when they made something. "We got into it to make her proud..." He said. "We'd do anything to see her smile," He fell silent, looking down at the floor. It was obvious something was paining him. "What is it, Edward...?" I questioned softly. Ed didn't look up, but spoke again. "When I was just ten, Al even younger, we found her collapsed on the floor....we just walked in, and she was on the ground....it turns out she was sick and had even sick for a long time....a week later, it killed her."

I looked at Edward with sympathy. There was no hiding how much pain he was in just talking about it. He continued non the less. "We wanted to bring her back....so we tried...we tried human transmutaion...we t-thought that we could do it, that we couldn't possibly lose anything else important to us...but that wasn't the case at all..."

"W-what do you mean...?" My voice was quiet as I asked him. "What we made....what we made, it wasn't her...it wasn't anyone...it wasn't even human. We made some...some horrible creature....I lost my leg for it.....Alphonse...he lost his whole body...I sacrificed my arm to get his soul so I could attach it to armor....we had lost...everything....Alphonse....my little brother....I made him suffer...he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't feel anything....I cost him so much...."

I could feel the tears begin to swell in my eyes. What a horrible thing they had to go through...those boys didn't deserve anything like that.....I stood up and sat by Edward, wrapping my arms around him and nuzzled into his shoulder. He tensed up from surprise, but put his arms around me, too. "I-I'm so sorry, Edward..." I trembled. He stayed silent. "Finish your story...get to the happy part...." He told me of all the neat adventures they had together, and all of the places they went, all the people they met. He described how big Central was, and how they boys got their bodies back.

My story had eventually stopped, though I kept my arms around Edward. "You've had quite a life..." I told him. "You could say that," He replied softly. The two of us stayed like that, embracing each other until my stomach emitted a loud sound. I gave him a look of embarassment, though he just chuckled. "Come on. You need something to eat,"


	3. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staying another night at the Elric household, Midori learns just how much the past has been haunting the oldest brother.

"You know, you never actually gave us your name," Alphonse noted quietly as the three of us ate dinner. While he sat properly and ate like a gentleman, Edward and I scarfed our food down in under ten minutes. "Midori Satoyo," I said quickly in order to get back to shoving food down my throat. After watching us quietly, Al spoke up between bites. "You have to breathe, guys..." He mumbled. "It's just so good!" I cried with my mouth full of the great delicacies. "And I'm so hungry!" Ed added in mid chew. "You two have no manners..." Al sighed and continued eating in his delicate way.

Every time I looked at Alphonse, I thought about what it must've been like for him to go through everything he did, being without a body for so long. It had to have been hard....of course, I didn't show the emotions swimming inside me. I couldn't bring it up to him. It wasn't exactly a topic suited for table talk. 'So, tell me, what was it like to be nothing but an empty shell?' No. That just wouldn't work. So I let the room fall into silence while the three of us finished, quite possibly the best dinner I've ever eaten. Ever.

"It's gotten late," Alphonse said to me. "Would you like one of us to walk you home? Or you could stay another night, if you want to," I thought about it for a second before deciding. "I, uh...I can stay another night. Are you sure I won't be a nuisance to you boys?" He chuckled softly. "Of course not. You are very welcome to stay," I smiled at his kindness. What a sweet boy. "Thank you very much," I headed to the boys' room, where my Edward pajamas were waiting. With the door shut, I changed into them to get comfortable. A yawn escaped my lips. I wasn't truly tired, but it was getting rather late.

I heard the water running in the bathroom as I sat on Al's bed. I guess one of the guys are in the shower, I thought. I laid down, letting my mind reflect. I had taken in a lot of information about the Elric brothers that day...it still shocked me that two boys could go through all of that and still be at a good mental state. At least...they seemed to be at a good mental state. Just hearing of their horrid past filled me with pain....I turned onto my side, facing the door. Moments later, my eyes took in the sight of...boxers. Edward's....boxers....

Almost instantly, I heated up with a blush, my eyes nearly buldging out of my head with shock. It took Edward a second to realize that I was there. When he did, he became completely mortified. "I-I-I'm sorry!!!" He cried. I squeaked and scrambled to bury my face in Al's pillow. It smelt of...sugar. But never mind that. My mind was racing with thoughts of panic. I'd never seen a guy in his boxers before. And my first experience had to be this douche bag. I groaned loudly. "I''ll be dressed in, like, two seconds!!" Edward exclaimed. I heard him shuffle over to his dresser. pulling out clothes. "Just don't look at me!! And I'm really sorry!"

Eventually, when I knew it was safe, I looked up from the pillow. Edward sat on his bed, his blush imitating the one that was spread across my face. The air felt dense with awkward silence created by the horrifying scenario that had just occured. I turned away from him, not being able to look right at him. I heard him twist around in his covers, laying down. "I'm going to sleep...." He mumbled. That sounded like a good idea to me. "Goodnight, Edward..." I said quietly. I laid down and closed my eyes, though I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep after such trauma.

\---

I woke up to the sound of small whimpers and groans. The room was dark to a point that I couldn't see two inches in front of my face. I allowed my eyes to adjust to the dark. The noises continued, concerning me a bit. When I could see a little better, I noticed Edward stirring in his sleep, whimpering. Two tears fell down his cheeks and he whispered something. "Mom..." More cries followed the word. I wasn't sure what to do at first. He looked so...helpless, when he normally looked strong and full of knowledge. I'd never imagine him ever being like this, even while having a nightmare. The whimpers quickened, and in a swift moment, I ran to Edward's bedside, carefully crawling in beside the tormented figure of the sleeping Edward Elric.

"Edward..." I whispered to him, lightly touching my hand to his forearm. He twisted away sharply, emitting more pitiful sounds. I shushed him, resting his head in my lap. He mumbled some more. "Mom...I-I'm sorry...so sorry..." I stroked his hair comfortingly. "Shh...Edward, it's just a dream....wake up..." I said to him softly. Ed whimpered again. I kept stroking him and shushing him until the noises seemed to die down and he relaxed into my lap. I didn't want to leave him alone over here, so I layed down in his bed, keeping him close. It was....very nice, laying next to Edward. In general, he had a warm, toned body...but I couldn't focus on the pleasure part of it. I didn't want to see him look so helpless that way again.

Ed started to wake up slowly. He yawned a bit before noticing there was somebody in my bed. "Midori...?" He asked in his groggy state. "You were having a bad dream, weren't you...? You were whimpering and crying out in your sleep, so I came over to comfort you," I told him. He looked at me, very surprised, but then got himself closer to me. "It was awful..." He whispered. "I know..." Was the best comfort I could give. To be honest, I was a bit shocked that he willingly got close to me. It seemed that he'd needed this comfort for a long time.

"Were you dreaming of your mom...?" I asked Edward softly. He noded a little. "It's always about Mom..." He tells me. "Mom, and that thing we'd made trying to bring her back..." I saw the emotion that flooded through Edward's sleepy eyes. It caused me to stroke his hair with a soothing rhythm once again, "Okay, Edward...you don't have to talk about it...." I whispered. "Okay..." he replied, now snuggling as close to me as possilbe. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. I just wasn't sure about being so close to him in his bed...

"I'm just gonna...go back over there now..." I started after a while. "No, stay..." Edward surprised me once again. I looked at him, and he seemed like a little boy that crawled into their parents' bed after a scary dream. It made me feel bad for him. "Okay..." I whispered. "I'll stay..."


End file.
